Friday Star Wars

EDITOR'S NOTE: WOOHOO. FRIDAY. WOOHOO.

Revenge Moves Up Another Notch
At $828MM now, Episode III is just $36.6M from entering the top 10 All-Time Worldwide Box Office grosses, which would knock off Finding NemoEDITOR'S NOTE: FISH MUST DIE., something surely possible since it is still showing in many theaters. EDITOR'S NOTE: WELL, NOT IN HOUSTON!

AND CHECK OUT THESE TWO NEW BOOKS I NEEDTO SAVE PENNIES (AND NICKELS AND DIMES) FOR -----

Inside Star Wars Chronicles: The Prequels


The Star Wars saga is rich in intricate detail, the result of gifted artists and craftspeople creating believable new worlds, characters, and devices to populate a far-away galaxy. Chronicle Books celebrated this detail back in the '90s with the release of the enormous Star Wars Chronicles by Deborah Fine and Aeon Inc., an oversized 315-page hardcover tome that explored the classic trilogy with unprecedented visual detail. EDITOR'S NOTE: A GORGEOUS SPLURGE.

Chronicle Books now returns to complete the saga with Star Wars Chronicles: The Prequels, by Stephen J. Sansweet and Pablo Hidalgo. Much has changed in filmmaking, and innovations have allowed the worlds of Star Wars to become grander and more complex. The practical and digital arts required to bring those worlds to the screen are showcased through thousands of images, some never-before-seen. Authoritative text explains not only an element's role in the film, but its expanded universe back-story as well as real-world information about its origins. EDITOR'S NOTE: BOTH SIDES OF THE BRAIN SATIATED. UNCLE G SURE DO LOVE US, EH?!

Each of the prequels is given a lavish visual treatment. Poke around the dingiest corners of Watto's shop and junkyard, meet the exotic denizens of the Outlander Club, and for the first time explore many of the worlds of Episode III in detail. The Revenge of the Sith chapter is the first time much of this information is coming to light. The book is filled with reference photography, concept art, and turnarounds of ILM digital models.

EDITOR'S NOTE: LOOOKIE LOOOKIE, ODDBOB! YOUR SITH SWEETIE GETS HIS OWN PAGE!

Beyond the film chapters, there are also sprawling gatefolds with size-comparison photo charts of characters, vehicles and starships. EDITOR'S NOTE: THIS IS INCREDIBLY GROOVY! (IF THE ORIGINAL CHRONICLE FOLD-OUT PAGES ARE ANY GAUGE).See how a Venator-class Star Destroyer stacks up against a Trade Federation battleship, or check out just how massive a clone turbo tank really is. The book also includes a timeline of major saga events, a section devoted to the Clone Wars micro-series on Cartoon Network, an overview of prequel publishing milestones, as well as behind-the-scenes summaries on the making of each film.

The presentation of the book even supercedes the impressive lavishness of the original, complete with a die-cut slipcase that creates the mask of Darth Vader on the cover.

Star Wars Chronicles: The Prequels is due out on October 27, but you can preorder it today from Star Wars Shop. By ordering it from the shop, it's the only way you're guaranteed to get it autographed by both authors.

To preorder your copy, click here.

http://shop.starwars.com/catalog/product.xml?product_id=104115&rid=SMCMFH00001
Hardcover: Star Wars Chronicles The Prequels (Signed by both Authors)
Our Price: $149.99

Star Wars Poster Book Coming Soon To Your Galaxy


Before the internet, the earliest indication that a new Star Wars movie was "Coming Soon to Your Galaxy" was usually trumpeted by the posters pinned up in theater lobbies. Occasionally these early advance posters, or "teasers," used spare graphics -- some even used plain text. The actual release posters, however, were lavish illustrations designed to convey the film's scope, brimming with excitement, adventure, and romance. Though many of these classic posters have since become the most recognized imagery in movie poster history, their histories have seldom been explored.



The Star Wars Poster Book, authored by Lucasfilm's Steve Sansweet and Pete Vilmur, is the first major attempt to chronicle the stories behind these movie masterpieces, backed by extensive research and numerous interviews with the original artists, film marketers, and art directors. Here, fans will learn Lucas' directive for the design of the original Star Wars logo; why the image of Luke and Leia appears to be pasted to a wall for the 1978 re-release of Star Wars; why several elements were removed from the original "Gone With The Wind" poster composition used for Empire; how Drew Struzan came up with the concept of a poster triptych for the release of the Star Wars Special Editions; and the marketing mind behind the prequel trilogy print campaign. EDITOR'S NOTE: THE TPM TEASER POSTER ALONE DESERVES A STANDING OVATION!



An expansive collection of international posters are showcased as well, with some artworks officially featured for the first time since their foreign theater lobby debuts decades ago.

Papuzza's comic-like Italian Star Wars illustration is here, as is Noriyoshi Ohrai's stunning Empire composition used throughout many international markets. Jedi posters from Hungary and Poland are on display, as are some of the strangest Russian posters ever composed for a Star Wars film. Even the Ewok movies get a full spread featuring the poster art used to promote the films both domestically and overseas.



Apart from the actual movie releases, this thick tome -- 320 pages with 350 images -- also explores the scores of promotional, event, and commercial posters printed since 1976. Many obscure posters from the early days of the Star Wars phenomenon, as well as some unusual images from international markets, are all featured along with some little-known facts.

Did you know the famous Star Wars Concert Poster depicting the droids with musical instruments was never sold at the Hollywood Bowl Star Wars Concert, as common lore holds? Or that the early Star Wars pin-up portraits were shot by the same photographer who'd done album covers for the Beatles, Janis Joplin, and Blind Faith? How about John Alvin's use of 77 elements in his Star Wars 10th anniversary panoramic poster, commemorating the year of the film's release?

Of great interest to poster collectors, of course, is the extensive poster guide included in the back of the book, which lists over 2,200 posters from around the world and its relative desirability among poster collectors. Bootlegs are also discussed, with some telltales to look for when making a Star Wars poster purchase. All in all, this book is by far the most comprehensive guide for people interested in exploring some of the history behind their favorite Star Wars posters, whether they are collectors or not.



EDITOR'S NOTE: DO WE PANDER ENOUGH TO ODDBOB? I DON'T THINK WE DO.

StarWarsShop currently has The Star Wars Poster Book available for pre-order, with an exclusive offer to purchase an edition signed by the authors.

http://shop.starwars.com/catalog/product.xml?product_id=104112;category_id=336;pcid1=;pcid2=&rid=SMCMFH00001

Hardcover: The Star Wars Poster Book (Signed by both Authors)
Our Price: $49.99

A FEW MORE FUN RANDOM PICS FROM THE STARWARS.COM WEBSITE ----


In a scene cut from the film, Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) was to select Boga from an Utapaun dragon pen due to her spirit. Note the simple "monster stick" in the background to provide McGregor an eyeline.


Peter Cushing found the severe boots of his Imperial uniform too uncomfortable, so whenever possible, he performed without them.